KINGSEY FALLS, QC (News release) -- Cascades is pleased to announce that its closed corrugated basket for fruits and vegetables was awarded the People's Choice Award in the Eco-packaging Initiatives category at the DUX 2023 Grand Prix.

Each year, DUX invites the community to vote for a company that stands out in its category as a leader in food. The Eco-packaging Initiatives category recognizes a solution that reduces the impact of packaging on the environment through environmentally responsible practices and life cycle management. The new closed cardboard basket, launched in January 2023, was designed according to recognized eco-design principles, and is part of a circular economy approach. Made of recycled and recyclable cardboard, it is an alternative to the hard-to-recycle packaging currently on the market. It has been prequalified by How2Recycle® as widely recycled in Canada and the United States. The result of the expertise of a multidisciplinary team, the basket's innovative design allows for flat shipping, reducing transportation costs and the need for storage space. A mounting jig, specially designed for both basket formats (2l and 3l), will also speed up and simplify operations for producers.

Two Cascades products were among the finalists for the Grand Prix DUX in the eco-friendly packaging initiatives category: the northbox® OCEAN and the closed corrugated basket for fresh produce. These two solutions support the achievement of one of the objectives of its fourth Sustainability Action Plan, that 100% of its manufactured packaging be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2030.

"We are very proud to learn that our eco-design efforts are being recognized by the DUX Grand Prix community. Seeing two Cascades packaging solutions among the finalists and our new closed paperboard basket being recognized as a People's Choice Award motivates us to continue pushing the limits of innovation for our customers by pursuing our mission: to improve the well-being of people, communities and the planet by providing sustainable and innovative and solutions that create value," said Mario Plourde, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cascades.

The closed basket also received a Distinction Award in the sustainable design category at the PAC Global Award 2023.

Cascades was recently recognized by Corporate Knights as the 20th most sustainable corporation in the world and the first in the Containers and Packaging category.